2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #1 discussion
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What Angels Fear
What Angels Fear
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Jonetta
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Jan 15, 2016 04:48AM
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As I read this book, I wondered whether his first serious love interest would bloom again into something more mature. It was hard to guess whether he was partially motivated by forbidden fruit, in his desire to marry Kat. They were very young.When he approached her, she was still being kept by another man; I was somewhat surprised at them falling into bed together so soon. Since she had something mysterious going on with Leo, I don't know whether her loyalties could lie with Sebastian as they would need to from his perspective.
I didn't like Kat's character at all. I thought she was too manipulative and hoped he wouldn't end up with her in the end. She wasn't forthcoming with him, she is holding too much back.
Okay, before I go on a rant let me just say that I hate Kat with an undying passion!Now that that is off my chest ...
Not only do I have a huge aversion to the keeping secrets trope (and Kat is keeping a whopper!) but like Loriidae says, she is manipulative and motivated by self-interest.
Sebastian can do better.
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Her manipulation and subterfuge, knowing he trusts her, told me a lot about her. And, I don't think it was just his father's offer of money that had her disappear.
It's only going to get worse.
I've read all the books and it's killing me not to comment on these interesting observations!
Jo Ann wrote: "I've read all the books and it's killing me not to comment on these interesting observations!"I know! But we have to let them find out for themselves....
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:- )Thanks, friends, for holding strong until we catch up with you. Then we'll be glad to hear your first impressions, if you can remember them.
As I said in a previous post I'm not so sure about her. Sebastian is obviously in love with her and as I like him, there must be something good in her. However she is holding things back and if there isn't trust then that's not a good thing....Keeping my mind open but heading towards the "don't like Kat" camp.
Tracey wrote: "Keeping my mind open but heading towards the "don't like Kat" camp. "You won't be alone
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Well said.
Young love, first love tropes are always tricky. Are these two in love with the notion of being in love or is it true? Secondly, I love the second chance tropes...it one of my favorite in romance. I want the author to redeem Kat and make her better for being with Sebastian. I know I'm in the minority here. I didn't love Kat, but I'm willing to reserve judgement (view spoiler)
I just feel it cannot be his future because in those times a Lord would not be able to end up with an actress. She could be his mistress but never his wife.
Phrynne wrote: ....She could be his mistress but never his wife. I agree, and I get frustrated by HR's which cross classes. I know it happened, but I think it was much rarer and less accepted than is portrayed by modern authors writing HR.
Phrynne wrote: "I just feel it cannot be his future because in those times a Lord would not be able to end up with an actress. She could be his mistress but never his wife."Precisely. Harris is pointing out the class distinctions of the time and perhaps even emphasizing how unjust and arbitrary it is, but nevertheless, she is remaining true to the norms of the times. This is a historical mystery not a historical romance and in real life sons of Earls did NOT marry actresses!
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Hi ladies! I'm jumping into this reread as this is one of my absolute favorite series so I'm chomping at the bit to reread the books with others this year. I just joined the group the other day and am still working on my "series list" thread (that takes some work!). On the issue of Kat and Sebastian, I agree that an Earl's son would never marry an actress and I appreciate that the author chose to portray this relationship more realistically than is typically the case in historical romances. As has been pointed out, this an historical mystery and the author (because I have stalked her blog religiously since discovering this series) made the conscious choice to break away from the historical romances she had been previously writing because she felt that genre was becoming too beholden to certain trope rules. She wanted more freedom to write things more realistically.
While I don't like the "first love" trope, I generally do like the "second chance at love" trope so when I initially read the back cover blurb of the book I elected to buy it thinking that I would be very drawn to the relationship of Kat and Sebastian. That never happened. Even though Kat was created to be interesting - on paper she has this mysterious, secret spy background - she just always felt flat to me. And I never really felt the chemistry between her and Sebastian.
For his part, I think Sebastian never had closure and he's clinging to this idea of some ideal life he thinks they would have had. "What ifs" can be very powerful. In that sense I don't think he's being very realistic. He's also seeing Kat as the girl he remembers and not the woman that she now is. I do think he was way too forgiving of her but I think that's all wrapped up in his idealized love for her. Because if you think about it, her actions as a spy for the French could have caused Sebastian's death and may have caused the deaths of some of his military comrades/friends. I don't think that should be so easy to forgive.
Anyway, I'm not a fan of Kat. I would have preferred it if she had died at the end of this book. That sounds harsh but there are plot reasons for it that I shall return to once we get to a later book. ;-)
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I never connected with Kat because of her manipulation and subterfuge. He's clueless and guileless when it comes to her and it's not reciprocated.
Sebastian definitely proves that love is deaf, dumb, blind and stupid when it comes to Kat!
Great explanation ladies. I'm ready to continue the series now. I'm over my hump.
Welcome to the group and discussion, Veronica. I really liked what you had to say above. It was spot on!
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Agreed. Any sympathy gained from this minor act of redemption is completely overshadowed by Kat's lies and betrayals.
Yes I think that Kat and Sebastian's relationship can be worked out.I really think that it wasnt Kat's fault. I blame it on Sebastian's Dad. To put a price and to get Kat to leave Sebastiasn was so wrong. I had ill feelings about Kat until I found out that she never accepted the bribe. She left him because she loved him that much! She didnt want to bring Sebastian down to her level. She did help him a lot at the end.
I'm conflicted about Kat at this point. I don't like liars. I wanted to slap her when she tore the pages out of Rachel's diary. We don't know what was on those pages, but we know it hinder Sebastian's hunt for the killer.I do see some qualities in Kat that are good. I'm not sure we will ever see a marriage between Kat and Sebastian because the social classes in England at this time are very strict. I guess I need to read some more books in the series to help me decide.
Sebastian is still in love with Kat. I don't know how that will play out. He forgave quickly, but that is the kind of man he is. If the author moves toward a relationship, I think I can live with it.
